Under her bill, which was heard this week by a legislative committee, dogs cannot be tied up outside for more than 8 hours in any one day. The bill would ban dogs from being “chained, tethered or confined” outside between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m.

No dog less than six months old could be tied outside at all. Logging chains and certain other devices would be banned.

“It’s to protect the animal,” Coakley-Rivera said of her bill. “It’s a matter of humane treatment.”

She said some pet owners think it’s all right to leave dogs tied up all day in their yards. She and others said it is a problem across the state and can lead to other poor treatment such as a lack of food, dirty conditions and isolation.

Yet, the bill might make some dog lovers howling mad.

Nancy Fisk, owner of Wishing Well Kennel, an all-breed boarding kennel in Bellingham, said the bill could severely affect hobby breeders and sports people such as owners of sled dogs.

In testimony presented to legislators, Fisk said the bill would make it illegal for dogs to be in outdoor kennels overnight.

Kathryn Podgers of Cambridge, pictured with Shannon, her Siberian Huskie, is opposed to a bill that seeks to ban dogs from being tethered outside overnight.

“This makes no sense at all,” she said, according to a copy of her testimony. “If the concern were nuisance barking, it would not apply to me because I have no nearby neighbors and for other dog owners, enforcement of existing noise ordinances would solve that issue.”

New restrictions on tethering could also hurt "mushers," who use tethering as confinement in order to train and condition sled dogs, she testified.

Kathryn S. Podgers, 68, of Cambridge said the bill would force her to bring her service dog, Shannon, an eight-year-old Siberian Huskie, inside at night, where she said her dog would go stir crazy.

She said Shannon is “an outside dog” who has been raised outdoors since her birth. Like other Siberian Huskies, Podgers said, Shannon rarely barks and does not act territorial.

She said the bill fails to discriminate between breeds. A Husky loves to be outside while a Chihuahua may be better off inside, she said.

Podgers said the bill should be changed to protect “unattended” dogs, or dogs that are tethered and left alone at a home. Behavior problems are caused when dogs are left by themselves, not necessarily when they are tethered, she said.

“I support it,” said Puppolo, whose own dog – Zippy the miniature poodle – is a “house dog” except when he goes out for walks. “It’s a good piece of legislation. It will put some teeth into the law.”

Rep. Angelo Puppolo, pictured with Zippy the poodle, is cosponsoring a bill to curb the chaining of dogs.

Rivera said the bill is intended to ban the chaining of dogs overnight or for long periods of time.

She said she is willing to work with sled dog owners or others who might have a bone to pick.

The bill would also control the size and condition of the property where a dog is confined, Coakley-Rivera said. If it is outside, the dog would need to be in a pen, secure enclosure, a fully fenced yard, a trolley system or tether attached to a pulley in a cable run under certain conditions. The dog would need to have adequate space for exercise and access to water and shelter, she said.

If the bill becomes law, people could face a written warning or $50 fine for a first violation. Fines would be higher for subsequent offenses. Owners could be required to give up their dogs under some circumstances.

During a hearing Tuesday by the Joint Committee on the Judiciary, Kara Holmquist, director of advocacy for the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, testified in support of the legislation, saying that complaints about constantly-chained dogs are common and sometimes heart-wrenching.

It might sound cruel to leave dogs isolated on a chain for lengthy periods, but legally the society can do nothing about those types of situations, she added.

“A dog could spend his or her entire life tethered to a tree and this is not currently against the law,” she said.